Benefits
- Straightforward replacement for old storage heaters
- Easier to control
- No need for gas supply or radiator plumbing
What it is
Modern storage heaters are better insulated, so more of the heat they store at night is available for use during the day.
A storage heater works by using electricity at night, when it is cheap, to heat up the inside of the heater. You can then open flaps to let the heat out the next day and into the evening, so you get heating when you want it instead of just when electricity is cheap.
Storage heaters are insulated to try and stop the heat escaping before you want it. With older heaters this insulation may be less than ideal, so there is more of a chance you will run out of heat the next evening. A modern high heat retention storage heater has better insulation, so it will give off less heat when you don’t want it, leaving more in store for when you do.
It will also be fitted with fans to blow hot air out into the room when you want. This makes an even bigger difference between the heat given out when you want it and the heat given out when you don’t.
Modern storage heaters generally come with more advanced controls, so you just set the temperature you want and the control system does the rest.
Is it right for me?
If you already have storage heaters, or any other form of electric heating, then replacing them with high heat retention storage heaters could cut your electricity bill and may make your heating more controllable.
If you have old storage heaters, then you probably find them difficult to control and you may find they heat the house whether you want them to or not. Replacing them with high heat retention models is the simplest way to cut your electricity use and your bills, and you should find it easier to get heat when you want it, and to turn it off when you don’t.
If you use any other type of electric heating as your main heat source, then it will not be able to make the best use of an off-peak tariff. You may want to consider fitting high heat retention storage heaters so you can heat your home entirely with cheaper rate electricity.
If you want to switch to something greener than electricity for heating, then you could consider one of these:
- air source heat pump
- ground source heat pump
- wood boiler
- micro CHP
Living with your new storage heaters
Your new heater controls should be much easier to operate than old fashioned storage heater controls, but they are different so you should familiarise yourself with them.
Modern storage heaters are likely to have a thermostatic control for each heater. You should set this to the temperature you want for the room and leave the heater to do the rest. If you can turn it down slightly lower and still feel comfortable, then this could your bills quite a bit.
You can turn the thermostat right down when you don’t want to heat the room. But don’t turn it right up to full when you want the heating back on – just turn it back up to the level you decided was acceptable before. The room will heat up just as quickly, but without getting too hot and wasting energy and money.